Wonderstruck
by Horsefly20
Summary: After being rescued by Crewman Daniels and his time traveling subordinates, Sara Cornelius is transferred into the Star Trek Enterprise Universe. She must remain hidden from the Suliban at all costs. Sara strives to uncover the secrets of her past. She will be reunited with her biological father, a star ship captain, and, overtime, develop a deep love for a certain ambassador.
1. Chapter 1

It was half past two...

I was total confounded. The previous day's happenings seemed beyond rational explanation. To a certain extent, one would expect Lakeland, Tennessee to be the last place for any sub natural behavior to occur ... or for someone to disappear...

It was a slow, civil town that rarely strayed from its typical schedule. Hard workingmen and women - mainly country folk and working class Joes - resided in the area. But despite the stereotype, the supernatural had not failed to encompass me.

I couldn't believe the pickle I had gotten myself into. I had had close calls with fate before - violent landlords, drunken boyfriends, and conceited roommates. However, this particular event topped the cake for - you shall later agree - it surpassed all human logic.

5 hours ago, I had been in the 21st century. I had been driving my car to the lake. My life had been perfectly normal. Now, however, I was watching the stars from the top of an apartment complex, trying to simultaneously take in and block out the fictional space speeders that were zoning above my eyes. With a sense of mysticism, I starred above at the San Francisco gate. It was still hard to fathom the illuminated wonder before me for it was far more than a hundred years a head of my time.

So how had this happened? Here lies a question that I could not answer, only learn through time and reflection. At the moment, the only thing I knew for sure was that my earlier crash with surrealism had landed me in the remnants of a discontinued television show. And even that, by applying a certain amount of logic, was faulty.

I was practically a hostage in an unfamiliar universe. My captor/savior was from a world beyond my own. He had a distinctly (alien) look. A copper tint encompassed his very flesh. His eyebrows pointed upward like a mad man. And if one looked close enough, there were hints of a set of small, pointed ears, concealed behind his hairline. From the moment I met this particular unorthodox creature, I was struck with the unholy feeling that he could read into the depths of my soul.

He called himself Somal. And on one hand, I was incredibly grateful for his help. He had saved my life prior that very day. But on the other, he had sent a course of fear so deep throughout my body that I could never bring myself to forget it. Somal concerned me: he would not allow me to leave the complex, and his explanation of my arrival left me frazzled.

While on the roof, I couldn't help but think back to my activities earlier that day. School was out for the semester. The grueling finals were complete. And as part of my new years resolution, I had decided to start exercising more. I went for a walk around my local lake. At the time, it seemed like a totally innocent idea. Now, I realize my decision was an utter mistake.

I yearned for an escape. Life was too hard, and I desperately needed a break from insanity. My parents were deceased, and my siblings were living with an assortment of relatives. I was working two jobs to support myself and was studying day and night to get out of my small town and, essentially, acquire a scholarship to university.

So here I was, then, at the lake, taking a relaxing hike. It was nearly nine p.m. The moon could be seen glowing from above the treetops. It beautifully reflected upon the lake water, giving it an almost mystical aura. Briefly, I stopped in my steps and embraced the remnants of my inner child. I picked up a rock from the trail. It wasn't particularly large, but it fit into the grasp of my palm. I rocked my hand up and down, and then glanced past my wilderness surroundings to aim for the lake.

I positioned my feet, and to the best of my ability, I propelled the object forward with all my might. The rock hit the water with a splatter, leaving a group of animals to panic and frolic along the path. I let out a brief chuckle in response.

I was about to continue my walk when a strong, piercing noise filled my ears. My heart jolted in panic, and fear coursed through my veins. Involuntarily, I twisted and turned in the midst of the forest.

In hindsight, I realize my decision was foolish. When my mother was alive, she had always told me it was dangerous for a girl like myself to walk alone at night. After nearly coming face to face with death, I now acknowledge I should have obeyed her.

A large gust of wind forced me to my knees. I was rendered temporarily immobile. For a short while, I wondered if there was a storm brewing over yonder. Then I saw it: a moving object above the trees. It was massive. I had never seen such a thing before. The object - perhaps a comet - radiated with immense heat, and it was difficult to get a concise look for the velocity was incalculable.

My mouth hung open like a lunatic. Then, to my further surprise, the sound of a loud crash and a group of flames erupted in the distance. Such a collision, once again, caused me to tumble backwards. I was shook to the core.

At the time, my head - placed on the earth - was facing toward the sky. Everything was spinning. It was hard to tell, but for a moment I thought perhaps a second flying object had passed above my head.

I got up. Danger signals were running throughout my mind. Through the thick trees and the brush, it was hard to tell where the object had landed. I squinted my eyes, but that made little difference.

I was about to return back to my vehicle when I heard moving in the forest. I initially assumed it was a frightened animal fleeing from the disaster. However, to my surprise, the outline of a man could be made out in the distance. "Hello." I let out a cry, not knowing what to expect. I deeply hoped no one was hurt in the collision.

I saw the man raise his arm forward. I was perplexed. What was he doing? I thought to myself. Then, as he moved closer my eyes widened in horror. He was a sticky looking creature. His skin was dark yellow with numerous hardened bumps. The man almost looked _alien._

He had some sort of device in his hand. Then I realized it: he was pointing a gun at me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Good afternoon. Thank you to everyone who read my first chapter. This is an idea I thought of earlier. I thought it would be interesting to explore. There are limited transuniversal fanfictions - especially between our universe and Star Trek.**

 **Cortana Hansen: Thank you very much for reviewing. Yes, Somal is an OC. He and Ambassador Soval will play very different rolls in this work.**

I jumped seconds before he hit the trigger. I managed to fall to the ground in time to see a bolt of light fly over my head and blast through the trunk of a solid tree.

My mouth fell open so hard. "Archer." The horrid creature screamed at the top of his lungs. I shook my head. "Oh, no Archer here, just Sara Cornelius." I said with complete fear. I was even slightly hyperventilating.

The creature shook his head: "Liar." He screamed in inferior English as he pulled the trigger again. My reflexes kicked in, and I jumped up off the ground. He fired again, this time purposely missing me. I briefly wondered if this was some form of sadistic torture.

He lowered his gun. "Did you think we wound not find you? After all of these years?" He said with a demonic chuckle. I was so confused and terrified at the same time. "Sir." I tried to say with as much respect as possible. "I think you have the wrong person. Forgive me, but I don't even know who you are." Desperation slipped into my voice.

"Stop speaking lies." He hissed like a cat and then cackled. "Daniels was shrewd to place you here. However, he wasn't shrewd enough. I will now finish what my offspring started." My face would have contorted in confusion had my life not been on the line. He raised his gun one final time. By this point, I was locked in my steps. This was it, I thought to myself. I was going to die.

"Goodbye, Miss Archer." Time seemed to stop. Then the gun went off. I closed my eyes. It took me a moment to realize I was still breathing. Slowly, I opened my eyes. I wasn't in heaven, … or hell, so it was clearly logical to deduce I wasn't dead.

I looked ahead of me. Another figure, slightly taller, stood holding a similar weapon. The strange, horrendous creature was face down in the dirt dead. My mouth fell open.

The figure then moved toward me. I was so paralyzed with fear I couldn't bring myself to move. He grabbed my face. "Are you ok?" He said as looked over my body. Unlike the horrid creature at my feet, the man – more like boy – in front of me looked practically human. I pushed him off me and pointed to the body. "What the hell is that?" I said freaking out. The boy looked down at the carcass.

"A suliban." He said abruptly, not bothering to go further into detail. He grabbed my hand. "We must go." He pushed me along. "There will be more." Another violent gush of air surrounded us.

After nearly being killed, I did not put up a fight. He abandoned the trial and pushed me through the brush. " Where are we going?" I spoke in fear, but he did not respond.

We crawled through a ravine that was perpendicular to the lake and then shot through a group of trees. Finally, we stopped. A large vessel stood before me. "What is that?" I had never seen anything like it. It looked as if it had come out of a scientific TV show. Instead of speaking, he placed his hand on my shoulder, and I felt a slight amount of pain. I was knocked out cold.

…

I awoke.

A sense of unfamiliarity filled my system. I had no clue where I was. I sat up slowly to take in my surroundings. I currently lay on a queen-sized bed. The room was dark. There was evidence of a set of dressers across the room.

The last thing I remembered was a despicable creature attempting to kill me. Such a memory, inadvertently, heightened my senses. I grasped my bed sheets in a state of panic.

I flipped off the side of the bed. Pain coursed through my system. A brief hissed escaped my lips. Then I remembered the boy. What did he do to me? I thought. He had clearly rendered me unconscious. My feet hit the floor. It took a moment to register that they were bare. Great. My captor had not only taken me hostage, but had also stolen my shoes.

I slowly moved across the room. I began to imagine the horrible things he could do to me. When I made it to the other side, I was confused by the door configuration. I tried to push it open but nothing happened. Perhaps it was a sliding door. I attempted to slide it. That was an utter failure. I briefly considered accepting defeat and banging on the door. However, seeing that I had no clue who I was dealing with, I figured that was not a wise idea.

I knew there must be a way to exit and there was. After several minutes of hunting, I discovered a set of buttons on the side of the door, one of which unlocked the horrid contraction. The door flashed open, and light poured into the room.

There was a small hallway. Kitchen light was evident in the distance. I stealthily moved down the opposing end. Confirming my suspicions, a nice size kitchen and living room lay before me.

I stood there motionlessly, scanning the room for a way out. No sooner did my eyes settle on the exit did a male voice fill my ears. "That wouldn't be wise." I jumped in response. I looked up to see him in the corner of the living room. He was a young man, perhaps in his early twenties. He stood erect with an emotionless expression on his face.

I narrowed my eyes. "What?" I replied. "Leaving." He spoke as he moved to sit on the couch. His cool demeanor frightened me. "Who are you?" I said breathlessly. He looked at me with his dark, brown eyes. " I am Somal of Vulcan."

It took me a moment to register with me. My face filled with perplexity gradually shifted to concern. The man before me, he had pointed ears and arched eyebrows. I could not believe the sight before me.

"You do not believe me." It was a statement not a question. I did not know how to respond. I was afraid if I opposed him he would become violent. Clearly this man was mentally unfit - a schizophrenic who had taken Star Trek to a complete extreme. Then again, this still did not explain the firefight earlier in the woods.

Somal didn't say anything. He walked across the room. "Computer." He said. "Open blinds." I watched slowly as a long-winded device rolled up and revealed a medium sized window. I walked to the man' side. From this apartment, I could see the outline of a huge city. But this was not what specifically caught my attention. It was the flying shuttle pods that zoomed past the apartment. My mouth fell open. I then looked back to Somal. Perhaps I was the schizophrenic.

...

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	3. Chapter 3

"Is this some sort of an illusion?" I asked spell bounded by the sight before my eyes. He shook his head and replied: "No, Sara. Everything that lies before you is quite real." I couldn't believe it. This did not make any pragmatic sense.

I further shook my head. "How is this possible?" A sense of desperation filled my voice. Somal starred at me for a long moment, perhaps waiting for me to calm myself. "I brought you here?" He said as bluntly when he identified the species of the Suliban.

My eyes narrowed. Did he bring me here? How? Why? So many questions consumed me, clawing me as if trying to exhume my soul. My comprehension was minimal so I dove for a simpler one. " Where are we?" Anger laced in the depths of my words. He blinked: "We are currently residing in San Francisco. The year is 2150." My stomach practically dropped. I shook my head. "No." The Vulcan narrowed his eyes and scrunched his nose. Although his wording was dry, I could tell he possessed a particular sense of sarcasm that was not propagated by his own fictional people. "Yes." He said haughtily.

I refused to listen. None of this was possible. It was all a trick. I brushed past him and attempted to run to the door. However, he, unfortunately, beat me there, pinching my shoulder.

…

I woke up hours later. Once again I was struck with an immense amount of pain in my lower neck. I rolled around. It appeared that this time I was not on the bed but rather a coach. I opened my eyes to a flashing device, a hybrid between a television and computer. The noise began to resonate in my ears.

There was a man speaking. I narrowed my eyes. No, not just any man, an older Vulcan man. Members of the audience were flashing pictures and asking him questions. A rumbling from the kitchen temporarily distracted me. I sat up. Somal appeared to be making dinner.

" You know," I spat. "You really need to stop doing that!" He briefly glanced in my direction. " What in particular?" He replied. I mimicked his pinching expression. "That!" I cried dramatically.

His eyes filled with comprehension. "You mean the nerve pinch." He came around from the kitchen and into the living room. Somal handed me a spoon and what appeared to be some form of ethnic broth. "Thank you," I said cautiously. It was technically around midnight now. However, seeing that I hadn't eaten any dinner, I was starving.

I took a bite of the soup and then pointed to the futuristic television. "Who is that?" Somal glanced at the glowing device. "That would be Ambassador Soval." Not clarifying any more than asked. I leaned forward in curiosity. Soval. That name sounded highly familiar. "What does he do?" I asked. "He is the head, diplomatic representative to Earth, employed under the Vulcan High Command."

A human on the screen approached the ambassador. "And him?" I motioned. "Admiral Forrest." I blinked. I had heard those names before. It took me a moment to realize this was the Ambassador Soval and Admiral Forrest from the television show Star Trek: Enterprise. When I came to this particular revelation, my mouth practically fell open. I then looked back to Soval. "What are they discussing?" Curiosity bloomed inside of me. "The logistics regarding the development and release of Enterprise. The ambassador is pressing for the postponement of any further construction." For the first time, it officially dawned on me that this was all real.

"How did this happen?" I whispered. "Star Fleet wanted the opportunity to launch …" I cut him off. "No, I mean, how did I get here!" Somal raised an eyebrow. "Why do you punish yourself by asking repetitive questions?" I crossed my arms at his bold statement. "You were in danger." He scolded. "It was logical to protect you." I shifted in my seat.

"Yes, and I am incredibly grateful for that. But you could have left me where I was!" He shook his head. "That would not have been a feasible option. Even had I left you in your own universe, you would have only remained in danger." He stopped briefly. "The Suliban are not easily persuaded from their goals."

"But why? Why would anyone want to hurt me? I promise you. I am no one, and I have certainly never done anything to hurt them. So why?" Tears practically filled my eyes. The encounter with the Suliban had left me so terrified the thought of having to face another one of them seemed absolutely repulsive.

Somal raised an eyebrow. "It is not you who they are necessarily afraid of." Some irritation slipped into this voice. "It is your father, your husband, and …" I was perplexed by the first part of his statement, and his voice was so low I could not hear that last part of his sentence. "These people lay worry." A sharp tone lurked into his voice.

He then stood up. "I should not have said that." Somal then glanced down at and got back down on his knees. My eyes wide, wondering what he was doing.

"I say to you, Sara. I come bearing 3 truths. All of which will be revealed in time." His own mesmerized mine. "Sara Cornelius. You are no longer Cornelius but rather an Archer." I starred at him with a contorted expression while he finished his statement. " So I will reveal to you the first truth, you are the biological daughter of the first Warp 5, Terran starship captain, Jonathan Archer. Granddaughter of the Great Warp specialist Henry Archer."

My body went limp. I could not believe this madness. I slowly shook my head. "No." I shook my head back and forth. "That is not possible. I was born in the year 2000. That would make me nearly a hundred and fifty years old. " I cried.

Somal bore a calm expression. "What I say is the truth. I would do all but lie to you." His voice gave a gentle purr. "I believe, in your universe, you know of our universe through a television show called Star Trek." I nodded my head. "Everything Gene Roddenberry spoke of in his plots was true. They were not a fantasy based but rather a set of complex, historical accounts comprised into a television show."

I looked at him skeptically. I needed more clarification. "Roddenberry wrote an entire series based off the accounts of alternative, futuristic universe," I repeated for confirmation. Somal nodded his head. "Ok, well then he would have had to have obtained this information somehow prior to creating everything in his television show..."

"He did. Roddenberry was a time traveler." I just starred at Somal. This day was getting nuttier as it progressed. I shook my head. I so needed beer...

...

 **Thank you every one who previously reviewed. I have been busy with work. I will try to update more frequently! Remember to review. I love to hear your comments!**

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	4. Chapter 4

I shook my head with the distorted feelings of conflicting confusion and understanding. The rational part of my mind with screaming in thousand languages that the scenario presented before me made absolutely no logical sense. However, despite my typically mentality, my internal reasoning was slowly giving into Somal's unlikely explanation. I ran my hand through my hair and gave a quick sigh. "Somal," I spoke with a firm, yet gentle tone, " If Roddenberry truly created a television series based off the eye witness of accounts of an alternate universe, why is it that I am not in it?"

I swore I could see the baseline of a contorted smile touch his lips. But it was momentarily suppressed, vanishing quickly like the sun outside of his apartment, which was now under the San Francisco Bridge. " But you are." He chimed with a sudden amount of cynicism. I leaned in closer to his body, shaking my head to express my total confusion. "But I am not." I replied with element of desperation. He shook his head. "Not in the tradition sense. Roddenberry placed your presence in his television show covertly." I narrowed my eyes as he went forth and elaborated. " If you have watched the show, your words and actions are consistently interweaved throughout the plot, mainly through the transference of lines and the replication of actions by the use of other characters. It is your physical presence which Roddenberry merrily chose to exclude."

"But why?" Anger laced my words. Somal remained oblivious to my change in character. "Because Roddenberry was a selfish man. He thought he replicate his exclusive experiences for financial gain; however, despite his fraudulence, he acknowledged if certain _revelations_ ever came to light or if information fell into the wrong hands, he would be better off dead. " I just starred at him. I felt like I was missing so much valuable information. Somal apparently picked up on my confusion for he decided to go on elaborate. " I can see you are very confused." I nodded my head. "Clearly." I replied with sarcasm. He apparently took pity and then retorted: "I will do my best to explain all of this information in time. Let us restart with more simple questions."

I raised my head. I had no way how to articulate my next question. " You said …" I stuttered momentarily. "You said the captain was my father?" Somal nodded his head. "How?" He now looked green. " I assume you are well-versed in the sexual mechanics of human biology?" I narrowed my eyes. "What?" I blurted out. "If you need further elaboration on what your species commonly defines as the work of the "birds and the bees," I would be very willing to provide you with alternate, sexual health pad." I cut him off. "Woo." I interrupted, then going on to repeat myself thrice more. "Woo, woo, woo." It took amount for me to compose myself. "No, that is not what I meant."

He looked at me blankly. Since I did not know properly how to articulate this, I was forced to speak in rather simple but concise words. " How is it that he is here? And yet for all of my life I have been stuck in some other dimension? I am sorry, but I thought Captain Archer was supposed to be some supernatural hero, who was both honorable and a family man. And now you are telling me I am his kid? How is this possible? I have been in a goddamn foster home my entire life."

I stopped momentarily. "Oh, and while we are both on the topic, who on earth is my mother? Because last time I checked, which probably would have been about a hundred years ago, it takes two to make a baby!" I added rather sharply. Somal just gave me a blank stare and responded: "You are the daughter of woman known as Margaret Mullen." I narrowed my eyes. I raced through my Star Trek memories like crazy just be left ultimately with question marks. "Who the hell is that?"

" If you will stop with your emotional outbursts, I will further elaborate." He interjected cynically. "Of course you will." I replied, "Because you clearly have all the answers." I said throwing my hands up in the air. He waited for me to calm down. He then continued to speak. " She was Captain Archer's lover." He then took in deep breath. " Your mother and your father were at one point almost engaged to be married. However, after your parents completed their education at Stanford University, your father accepted a commission with Star Fleet Command. When he later attempted to propose to your mother, she broke off all form of communication, "for she did not want to be a Star Fleet widow."

He then went on to reply, " While your father was initially upset, he eventually decided to refrain from contacting your mother." I starred intensely at him. "What your father did not understand after the termination of their courtship was that your mother was nearly two months along with child." There was a silence as this hit me. "You, Sara, were that child." He then took a breath. "Your mother had no interest in raising a child. She carried you term and then placed you up for adoption."

I did not know how to respond. I had wondered who my biological parents were all my life; however, I had came to accept at a very young age that I most likely never would learn anything about them. This sudden development shook me to the core.

" In my dimension," Somal stated. " You were placed with a foster family and then were later reunited with your father when you were 17.8 years of age." He then went on to reply, " The timeline however has heavily been altered. I am afraid to say that the Sulliban attempted to go back in time and alter the timeline by trying to "permanently remove you." Inadvertently, they created a nearly mirroring dimension. The temporal agents and I were forced to intervene, resulting in us removing you from your dimension and placing you in an alternate dimension more than a hundred and thirty years prior."

This was a lot to take in. "So, as bestowed by the council of the temporal agents, it is my mission to correct the timeline of this dimension, so that you fulfill the course of actions that were originally bestowed upon you." I looked up at him. " Such as?" He shook his head. " You will come to know in time."

I got up from the coach, placing the remainder of my soup on the coffee table. "I see." I then proceeded to walk towards the door. " I am sorry, but where exactly did you place my shoes and coat ?" He motioned to the closet, and I proceeded to push the button located adjacent to the door. I did not fumble around with confusion this time. Rather, I opened the door with ease, and then I grabbed my coat from off the rack. After I picked up my shoes and socks, I sat down on an opposing coach. I began to put my socks on as he spoke. "Where are you going?" He said wearily. I didn't respond until after I was done. " I don't know. Anywhere but here. It is nothing personal. It's just need to think."

He shook his head." The roof above us is typically used for social gatherings. You are free to reflect upon the current day's happenings there." I nodded my head. " Thanks." Somal then stood up and led me out the door. "There is a turbo lift to the right. Select floor 28 on the monitor." He then moved to the side. "Would you like me to escort you ?" I shook my head. " No, but thank you." I gave him a small smile.

...

When I walked on to the outside patio, the sky was already pitch black. My eyes were temporary inhibited by the lack of day light. Nevertheless, after a short while, I could easily make out the reflection of pods moving across the water right below the San Francisco Bridge. I proceeded to walk very slowly towards the edge of the building, trying to avoid the clutter that polluted the ground. Bear bottles and cleaning supplies loitered everywhere.

I stopped at the edge. What a day! I told myself. I could barely comprehend anything which had previously occurred. I starred up at the stars for I had no clue what I was going to do. I had absolutely no connections, no job, no educations, and no apartment.

It was so late at night. It was half past two...

I was total confounded. The previous day's happenings seemed beyond rational explanation. To a certain extent, one would expect Lakeland, Tennessee to be the last place for any sub natural behavior to occur ... or for someone to disappear...

I couldn't believe the pickle I had gotten myself into. I had had close calls with fate before - violent landlords, drunken boyfriends, and conceited roommates. However, this particular event topped the cake for it surpassed all human logic.

5 hours ago, I had been in the 21st century. I had been driving my car to the lake. My life had been perfectly normal. Now, however, I was watching the stars from the top of an apartment complex, trying to simultaneously take in and block out the fictional space speeders that were zoning above my eyes. With a sense of mysticism, I starred above at the San Francisco gate. It was still hard to fathom the illuminated wonder before me for it was far more than a hundred years a head of my time.

So how had this happened? Here lies a question that I could not answer, only learn through time and reflection. At the moment, the only thing I knew for sure was that my earlier crash with surrealism had landed me in the remnants of a discontinued television show. I looked at the sky and shook my head. I had absolutely no clue what I was going to do. The only thing I knew for sure was that I had to find this Captain Archer. Because I had never met the man, my thoughts of him were so abstract that I felt like he was more million miles away. As an older woman, I now look back in humor and realize that ironically he was closer than I originally thought.


	5. Chapter 5

After returning from the ceiling terrace some odd hour later, I proceeded to make my way back to the apartment, lay on the coach, and then rest my eyes for the remainder of the night. My sleep was thankfully uninterrupted. Somal had apparently been kind enough to see to that, along with a combination of other things. By the time I awoke several hours later, I flashed upward with an erupt jolt, consumed by the stimulus of a bright, piercing light projecting through the window. As my vision focused, I narrowed my eyes to take in the sight of the sun rising keenly above the San Francisco Bridge. Rather than moving, I took a moment to admire the intense variety of colored lights, which hit the frame of the window. Reds. Yellows. Oranges. Together, these colors formed an elaborate composition of lights, enriching the shadows of the space speeders moving across the San Francisco Bridge. I admired the sight that was physically before me, only to turn my head and later be struck with a spontaneous amount of pain.

"Damn." I cursed under my breath. I had slept on my side - clearly with my body contorted in the wrong direction. I ran my hand through my hair and proceeded to stand up. "Somal," I called gently out, only to be met with dead silence. I walked out of the living room, moving swiftly to the kitchen. " Somal, " I called again slightly louder, but to my distress, no one was there. I turned my head, finding a small pad laid upon the top of stone gradient counter. I quickly picked up the surprisingly weightless object with my left hand and raised the device closely to my upper face. I was about to read the tiny words scribbled upon the pad when a floorboard let out a loud howl. My heart skipped a beat, leaving me paralyzed with fear for a slight second. However, as fast as my body succumbed to its inflexible stature, I instinctively jumped fast around.

To my startling surprise, I was met with the image of an unknown man reflecting in the mirror behind me. In those short few seconds, all I could evaluate was that he was clearly of the male gender and was human – or at least he appeared to be. He had an oval-shaped head, short, dark hair, and blue eyes. I overcame my temporary jolt of fear and quickly turned my head to the side, only to be met with signs of an empty kitchen. My body moved nearly a hundred and eighty degrees. I drastically scanned the room and then looked back at the mirror. Nothing. There was no man in sight. A chill went down my spine, and my heart was now pounding.

I trusted my vision. Yes, I had originally questioned my sanity. However, I knew in the depths of my heart that there had been someone else in the apartment with me. The duration of the presence of man was too long to be a pretend fantasy. Nevertheless, regardless of my certainty, there was nobody to be found. I picked up the pad that Somal had left me, scanning once again for any form of written communication while simultaneously watching the room out of the corner of my eye. I read the note below:

Sara,

I have left you this electronic transmission pad. Please contact me with this device if needed. I have left a series of directions attached to the bottom of the pad.

I turned the device over to be met with a piece of paper – something that for this time century seemed prehistoric.

In addition, if you need to perform any financial transactions, you can utilize this device. I suggest you take this time to "explore" the San Francisco area and obtain any required necessities for your stay. When I return, we will discuss your academic future.

Your Caretaker,

Somal

I looked up. I could hear more rustling through the apartment. Not wasting a moment, I grabbed my shoes and socks and proceeded to braid my long, brown hair. I did not want to spend another moment in this blasted place. I grabbed my pad and headed out of the apartment. I kept my eyes on the floor, proceeded to walk down the hall, and entered what seemed like a post-modern elevator. "Computer, " I ordered oddly, "Please take me to the ground floor." Momentarily, my body was motionlessly rushed down nearly eighteen stories."

The doors opened, and I stepped out into what appeared to be a fairly lavish lobby. I briefly scanned the area, momentarily unsure of what direction to proceed in. The extravagance of the Queen's pattern embroidered on the wall temporarily left me phased out of reality, before an gently voice cut of my internal thoughts. "Can I please help you?" I turned my head to the right. An older woman, perhaps in late forties, sat behind a desk. She had dark blond hair secured in a bun on the head, and she wore dark green business suit. I couldn't help but be someone intimidated by her stature.

"No … no," I shook my head. "I am doing fine." I then took one step forward awkwardly. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Actually, " I then turned by body to completely face her direction. " What direction should I take to exit the building?" The woman then gave me a small smile. "If you go down this hall way and take a right, you find the main lobby. You can exit the building there."

I gave her a smile. "Thank you very much." I turned to leave, but she motioned me to stop. "Are you new with your stays here. I don't think I have noticed you before." My stomach internally cringed. I had no clue how to respond. How would I explain my situation? Time Travel. Temporal Agents. Vulcans. Star Trek. My mouth opened and then momentarily closed. "Yes, I am new. I am staying with a family member." A gave a huge grin and nodded my head vigorously. Before she could make any additional questions, I pulled up my pad and placed it on the counter. " I am staying in this apartment. " I motioned to the front screen, which had the floor and apartment number.

Her eyes flooded with comprehension. "Oh, you're staying with Mark and Daniel." I just stood there. I had never heard those names. "Yes," I played along with a fake smile. "Are you Mark's sister?" She inquired, leaning on her elbows on the counter. "Of course." I muttered out. She snapped her fingers. " I new it. You look just like him."

I stood there shaking my head awkwardly. "What is your name?" She said with a smile. "Sara." I said in only one word. "Oh, well, I am Courtney. If you need any help, feel free to call the lobby. " I mustered one more smile. "Pleasure to meet you, Ma'am." Remnants of my southern accent were leaking through.

I turned around and then proceeded to walk out of the room and down the hallway. As I approached the lobby, noise began to fill my ears. A small café could be seen to my right as well as a wide variety of furniture. Many young people sat speaking at ease. I looked around. The room screamed new money. Everything was impeccably taken care off. However, no one seemed to be flaunting the status of his or her wealth.

I approached a clear door, which later opened by sliding from left to right. I took one step onto the sidewalk of San Francisco, only to have a light chill stroke my cheeks and speeder zip by me. Loud trafficking noising filled my ears. I was amazed with wonder. A smile brushed my lips. I had never seen so many high-rise buildings in my life, and everything looked so cosmopolitan.

A man walked past me and bumped me to the side. "Make way," he hissed. I narrowed me eyes at the apparent rudeness. Yes, for all the lure this futuristic city had to offer, there were still some stereotypical elements, which would never change … and so I was off.

I must have walked a few miles over the next few hours. I didn't know how to flag down a taxi because I did not know if any taxi still existed. Perhaps, by now, they had all been replaced by some form of futuristic uber. I went into two different department stores and was surprised to find the fashion had not particularly changed. I was originally attempting to be lucrative, seeing that I was not spending my own money, but then it occurred to me, I had absolutely no clue how long I would be staying here. (Plus, the conversion rates from twenty-first to twenty-second century credits baffled me.) This caused me to select five different set of clothes, an additional set of pajamas, underwear, socks, and boots. I later went on and found a warm coat for I could sense that the plagues of winter were near.

As I walked out of the department store, I couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty. I never could afford new clothes. If I needed something, it wasn't uncommon for me to go to a local church service drive. All the money I had went towards me paying for my rent. I figured that if I stayed here for a while that I would most likely get a job and pay Somal back for his generosity.

I continued to walk down the street, and then stopped when I walked past a see through window outside a café. I needed some coffee, plus the cold was driving me insane. I walked into the shop and placed my bag down. I then froze in my steps. I group of officers were sitting around one of tables. I looked closer. The words "Star Fleet" embroidered their garments. But what shocked me more was that there were a group of aliens sitting around with them. They were Vulcans clearly, as evident by their pointed ears and their curved eyelashes. The Star Fleet officers sat casually drinking their coffee as their Vulcan counterparts refrained from talking. I was spell bound.

I then walked up to the register. I apparently was not the only one who couldn't stop watching the crowd before me. I eased my way over to the young girl working the pastry counter. " Hey, I am sorry, but who are those people. " She looked over at me. " Loyal Customers." She chided with humor. She then turned around and began to move around the drinks. "Can I get you anything?" She asked politely. "Yes, a cup of coffee would be nice."

"Hmm, your not from around these parts." I laughed at her statement. "How can you tell?" I asked. "Your accent. You sound like one of those Mississippians." I shook my head. "Close. Tennessean by birth." I chuckled. I then looked behind me to observe the Star Fleet officers and their Vulcan colleagues.

"Hmm. My mother was from Arkansas. She always thought you, Northerners, were nothing but goody too shoes." I stared at her blankly, not knowing how to respond. "Thankfully, pops was California, so I don't share that notion." She gave me a large smile. I then let out a chuckle. "Those Star Fleet men. Girl." She moaned under he lips. " They look mighty fine." She then began to input values into a machine. I awkwardly stood there and looked back. She then pulled out a cup and began to pour hot, brown liquid. She passed me the warm cup, and I took a drink. She then pointed to the group. "That one." She said pointing to a tall blond man. " I have been eyeing him for a while."

I proceeded to cough up some of my fluid, resisting a laugh. "Excuse me." I said to the girl. I then glanced further at the aliens. "What about the Vulcans?" I ask inquisitively. I was curious to see what academic knowledge this young woman had about such a fascinating group of people. "They ain't fine." She said comically. I rolled my eyes and smiled, disregarding her meaning. "Sorry, you think otherwise?" She asked. I gave them an additional look. " No. I couldn't really tell you even if I wanted too. Honestly, I have never even seen one until yesterday evening."

She shook her head. "Dalm. You must be from rural parts." I shook my head. "Yes, I wouldn't really regard Lakeland, Tennessee as the most cosmopolitan area in the United States. I am sure you can appreciate that being from …" She then cut me of with a colloquialism, "Bama." I nodded my head. "Yep."

She then picked up a napkin and began to scrub the counter. "Yes. My mama never mentioned seeing any until she was 19 or 20. But that was after she packed up left Huntsville in Alabama and went to college in Atlanta, Georgia. You can find them in the bigger cities, Atlanta, Chicago, New York City. " She then motioned her hands, "San Francisco." She moved to a container and pulled out a scone.

She grabbed napkin. "Here, eat up." I looked at her funny. "I didn't order anything else." She shook her head. "You look famished. It's on the house. " I took the snack from her. "Thank you." I gave her smile. "What is your name?"

"Louise, and yours." She said cordially. "Sara." I shook her hand. "So what brings you to these parts?" Louise asked. I shrugged my shoulders. "Guess a combination of things. Change of scenery. Family. The typical." I said, attempting to stick with my made up on the spot story. She nodded her head. " I hope you find your way around here."

"Thanks, I hope so too." I played with my pad and left a small tip. I then grabbed my shopping bag and proceeded to walk to the other side of the room. By this point, some of the costumers were proceeding to leave. A middle age Vulcan man stood adjacent to the door. He was speaking a foreign tongue into a communicator. I began to move past the end of a table, when an officer kicked a chair towards to my way.

Before I knew it, I was knocked off my feet and onto the floor. I was felt paralyzed momentarily as my head hit the hard textiles on the ground, taking me a moment to come back to my senses. "Oh, shit. Are you fucking serious man?" Another man spoke aloud, "Bill, help her." A man crutched down next to me. "Are you in any need of medical assistance?" I looked up in shock, and my body became immediately weak. An older Vulcan man stood before me. He had dark brown eyes, white hair, and middle age face. "I am fine." I got up onto my feet, motivated by pure embarrassment. I had had enough collisions for one day.

I kept my eyes memorized on his face. His image stuck. It was like having déja vu. I know I had seen him before. When I moved my head, I realized everyone was watching me. "I sorry for bothering you, dude..." I spat out in embarrassment, relapsing in my sophistication. "I mean, sir." I quickly interjected. He didn't say anything, just starred at me pensively. I look over to the Star Fleet Officers. Their faces were priceless. Some looked shocked while others looked amused.

Another Vulcan man walked over, I presumed a guard, and grabbed me upward by the shoulder. It was rather rough for my liking. "Hey." I hissed. I did not mean to be disrespectful or create a further scene; however, I felt slightly irritated because my back was slightly messed up from last night. " You must be a standard thirty-five Terran inches from the Ambassador at all times." My heart was pounding. The way the guards voice was pronounced sounded utterly emotionless and yet so internally invoking at the same time. "Tomek." The Ambassador began to spoke.

"What on Earth is going on around her." A loud female voice roared from behind. Louisa has came already the other side of the counter with a wet hand tow flipped over her left shoulder. " Are you giving my customer trouble, Tomek?" She said reaching the towel from over her should with her right hand. " She was in safety violation ..." Louisa raised her hand and slapped the Vulcan at the chest. This caused two of the Star Fleet Officers to chuckle. "The Frick? How many times Tomek have I told you that you cannot come into my shop and badger my young female customers like fox during mating season. You know, they just don't like that." She said flipping her hand dramatically.

My mouth legitimately fell open. I could not believe that this was happening. I was not expert on political correctness, but I think both people (woman and Vulcan) could use some. "Mrs. Blanche. Your unruly comparisons do not cease to amaze me." He said in response. "Hmm. And yet you just keep coming back for more, pointing to the cinnamon crumb cake behind her."

I gave an awkward smile. "I am sorry." I said looking at the security guard. "No." A short human man from behind me replied. "Bill Gardner. Admiral of Star Fleet." He moved into to shake my hand. " I apologize for what happened here." He then looked at his young subordinate and back. " It's no big problem, Sir." By this point I felt almost embarrassed and just wanted to leave. I looked back at the Ambassador's face. It struck me as so similar and just as it hit me I then went pale.

It was Ambassador Soval. He had not said an entire word. Probably because he didn't want anything on the record, knowing him. What a smart bastard. I didn't even know how to feel about this situation. To a certain extent, I was impressed by his status and his later accomplishments. But then on another level, I was intimated. The family who I had never meet and cared nothing for had been held back by this man, making me feel somewhat uneasy. If only for the fact that I bore a connection to the Archer family. A concept that was still taking some getting used too and frankly just boarded line accepting as fact. I reached down to grab my bags from off the floor with my one hand.

In attempt to move around the Ambassador to the door, I extended my hand cordially. He just starred down at me. I immediately began to blush, recalling that Vulcans were touch telepathics. The guard looked like he was going to fume. I retracted my hand. "Thanks, Ambassador Pointy." I said somewhat mockingly, causing him to cock an eyebrow, as if registered slightly in surprise. " Live long and prosper." I raised the Vulcan symbol rather somewhat mockingly. Gardner's mouth fell pretty much open at the point, as I scadadled out of the café.

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